him to the top of the church (by the helpe of certeine ladders that
stood there for woorkemen to mend the roofe) and there ran vp and
downe verie dangerouslie, but in the end came safelie downe, and laid
him to sléepe betwéene two men that watched the church that night, &
when he awaked, he maruelled how he came there. Finallie, recouering
his disease, his parents made him a priest, and placed him in the
abbeie of Glastenburie, where he gaue himselfe to the reading of
scriptures and knowledge of vertue. But as well his kinsmen as
certeine other did raise a report of him, that he gaue not himselfe
so much to the reading of scriptures, as to charming, coniuring and
sorcerie, which he vtterlie denied: howbeit learned he was in déed, &
could doo manie pretie things both in handie woorke and other deuises:
he had good skill in musicke and delighted much therein. At length he
grew in such fauour, that he was aduanced into the seruice of king
Adelstane.

Vpon a time, as he came to a gentlewomans house with his harpe, and
hoong the same on the wall, while he shaped a priests stole, the harpe
suddenlie began to plaie a psalme, which draue the whole houshold in
such feare, that they ran out and said, he was too cunning, and knew
more than was expedient: wherevpon he was accused of necromancie, and
so banished out of the court. After this he began to haue a liking to
women, and when Elfeagus then bishop of Winchester and his coosen,
persuaded him to become a moonke, he refused it, for he rather wished
to haue maried a yoong damesell, whose pleasant companie he dailie
inioied. But being soone after striken with such a swelling disease in
his bellie, that all his bodie was brought into such state, as though
he had béene infected with a foule leprosie, he bethought him selfe,
and vpon his recouerie sent to the bishop, who immediatlie shore him a
moonke, in which life he liued in so great opinion of holinesse, as he